AeroFly FS2 support in ModelConverterX

[arno]

I have added two new exporters in ModelConverterX, with these you can export objects to the TGI format for AeroFly or export scenery to the TSC format of AeroFly.

If you save your object in the TGI format, you need to use the AeroFly Content Converter to put it into the sim. ModelConverterX will save the basic geometry and material settings. Animations and levels of detail are not exported, since I haven’t learned how to do that.

If you export your scenery as a TSC file ModelConverterX will also export object placement data to AeroFly. All objects and the textures they used are all saved and the AeroFly Content Converter is automatically called for your scenery. All the object and texture files are put in the folder where you select to save the TSC file. The screenshot below shows some objects I placed with ModelConverterX.

The current implementation should work fine for scenery objects. For ground polygons I probably need to adjust some settings to let them work correctly. That’s something I plan to expand later. So please give the new exporters a try and let me know if there are issues or additional features that I could implement.

Continue reading...

 

[Vogel]

Great work Arno, MCX will be a must have for AFS2 creator too

 

[whitav8]

Arno,
Thanks for this fine effort - I will try to make a short tutorial for the AFS2 folks.

1) Please change the output filename from "TGI" to "tgi" - the upper case causes the content converter some problems with compiling to TMB.
2) A quick test on an FSX/P3D b737 default model looks like there might be some transparency or improper facing triangle problems - I'll do more testing.

Dave W.

 

[arno]

Hi Dave,

I have no problem here with the TGI extension, as you can see I got the objects into AeroFly correctly. But I can change it to lower case.

I haven't tested models with transparancy a lot, so could be I need to change some settings there.

 

[arno]

Hi Dave,

I have changed the case of the extension from uppercase to lowercase now. It will be in the next development release.

I was thinking, the transparency you see might also be because in FS the diffuse alpha can be used for reflection depending on the material settings. But without such settings that might result in transparent parts.

 

[whitav8]

Arno,
As always - thanks for your quick response!
1) Thanks for the lowercase change - I'm not sure why my test case script which simply calls the Content Converter, but I kept getting an ERROR.
2) Could you please try the import of the B737_800 or the Cessna 172sp (or just any aircraft from FSX or P3D) yourself? I forgot that the BMP textures have to be 24-bit for AFS2 - I need some way to do that with MCX (exists already?)
3) Some of the geometry (probably the stuff that was animated - even after I " FIX Selected " to ALL of the animation) is getting corrupted by the time you get to TGI) I have been using MCX 1.4 with AC3D + DxtBMP/GIMP successfully before - saving to AC format and finishing up there.
4) Here is my checklist for the conversion so far - I expect to use it with aircraft models that I have permission from the author:

Steps for moving FSX/P3D model to AFS2 using newest (1/4/18)version of Model Converter X from fsdeveloper.com

1) Copy entire aircraft model Simobjects folder to work folder
2) Copy texures from FSX/P3D root to work folder (not sure this is needed):
a) fresnel_ramp.dds
b) GlobalEnv_AC_Chrome.dds
c) GlobalEnvTest.dds

3) Load modelxxx.mdl in model directory
4) Using LOD editor, delete all lower levels
5) Use animation editor to position animated elements to desired value
(e.g. select "gear" only items, then Fix Selected Animations - need to FIX ALL of the rest)
6) Use Transform editor to move model to wheels at ground
7) Use Material Editor to generate ( 24- bit - HOW?? )BMP versions of ALL textures and save (Power of 2 - yes)
8) Export Object to MDL - choose new name
9) Exit MCX and then Import new MDL - check model using just BMP textures
10) Optionally export to AC3D model format "AC" in order to edit the model
11) Export model to TGI format (name extension must be "tgi" )
12) Copy tgi and all BMP textures to Content Converter build folder and build scenery area after adding new object into TSC file

 

[arno]

Hi,

I'll have a look at the aircraft model tomorrow, not behind my FS machine now. I have just been studying the different ways the textures are used in the different sims to see if I can support that better.

Step 4 from your list is not really needed, the TGI exporter will only export the highest LOD.

Step 5 is a good point, I should make sure animations don't matter and that a static version is exported by the TGI exporter. I'll add that to the todo list.

Are you sure the textures should be 24 bit? I have read in the AeroFly SDK that an alpha channel can be used if needed. If there is no alpha channel MCX will export BMP files as 24 bit, else as 32 bit.

 

[arno]

Hi,

I have just pushed an update that will automatically fix the animations when exporting to TGI. It also contains the lowercase extension as mentioned before.

 

[whitav8]

Arno,
I tried using your latest release but with the b737_800.mdl, there are still significant problems with both animated geometry and transparency - even when I provide it the two correct wing/body textures ( b737_800_1_T.bmp and b737_800_2_T.bmp ) both of which must be processed by DxtBmp from DDS format - simply flip the image vertically and save as a 24-bit BMP with no alpha channel.

I will keep testing - thanks

Dave W.
-----------------------------

Here is my workflow that is successful using MCX 1.3:
Convert from FSX MDL (v1.3) to Aerofly FS2

1. MCX load MDL - load Texture Editor - find names of required textures
2. Convert textures from dds to 24-bit BMP via DxtBmp (Flip Image lfirst)
3. MCX - Roll 180, Heading 180 (optional) - Fix Selected Animations, delete lower res LODs
- ( Optional Save this BGL/MDL to edit more later )
4. Export to ACfilename
5. Edit ACfilename with Notepad++ and replace DDS with BMP - SAVE extra copy of ACfilename
and make textures names lower case (sometimes - not sure)
6. In AC3D, load ACfilename, select all, lower left SMOOTH
7. Export to TGI (tgi) and copy all BMP files to AFS2 build folder

 

[arno]

Hi,

I haven't tested the default 737 yet, will do so tonight. I did check the AI MD-87 model of FSX and that indeed has an diffuse alpha channel that is used for blending the environment map. That is not something that AF2 supports, so in that case the alpha channel needs to be stripped from the texture. I'm planning to add some functions to the material editor to do such texture manipulations.

 

[whitav8]

Arno,
I will continue to test and much thanks for your terrific expertise!

Dave

 

[arno]

Hi Dave,

I had a look at the default 737 model and it indeed also uses the alpha channel to blend the reflection map. So that's why it looks weird when converting to AF2.

Guess I need to implement that feature to convert the material from these FS specific settings to the more general settings that AF2 or X-Plane supports. That would help a lot in converting to other sims.

 

[whitav8]

Arno,
OK - sounds good. Did you also notice the messed up geometry - the wheels and other stuff?

Thanks

Dave (BTW, I notice you are answering questions about this on the Aerofly forum as well - let me know if I can help you there. )

 

[arno]

Hi Dave,

I only looked at the structure of the model, I didn't watch it in Aerofly. Will try to do that tonight.

 

[arno]

Hi Dave,

I tried to convert the default 737 as well, but I see nothing in AeroFly. When I use another scenery object I do see something. So I need to check in more detail what is going on there.

 

[whitav8]

Arno,
I think that ("When I use another scenery object") is always the case - you have to have two objects - usually one is a runway and then the others. My TSC file has this for an entry- (plus more)
<[tmsimulator_scenery_object][element][2]
<[string8][type][object]>
<[string8][geometry][b737_800x]>
<[vector3_float64][position][-122.101134 47.9025 5]>
<[float64][orientation][-90]>
>
<[tmsimulator_scenery_object][element][3]
<[string8][type][object]>
<[string8][geometry][cessna172sp]>
<[vector3_float64][position][-122.101134 47.9022 5]>
<[float64][orientation][-90]>
>

 

[arno]

Hi,

I suspect there is something wrong with my aircraft export, since when I export a single church object it shows up fine.

What is the purpose of the orientation field you have in the file (with a value of -90)?

 

[whitav8]

The orientation field just allows you to rotate the object's heading in degrees.

Have you made any options in the material editor for the 24-bit BMPs with vertical flip of image? Also, I feel that removing the Texture Editor icon and just having a Material Editor is confusing since most of us think that Materials are simply RGB colors (mostly). The New list of textures in the Material Editor shows the same textures several times and also doesn't allow us to changes the names like before.

 

[arno]

Hi,

I tried that orientation, but saw no effect. I'll test again.

What you call the new material editor is already many years old . In the FS definition a material includes the textures. You can also still rename them, but I need to check how (I don't use that often).

No progress on the alpha removal yet, some other bugs took my time last evening.

 

[arno]

Hi,

In the texture tab you can click on the texture name (click slowly, if you double click the texture preview opens). Then you are able to edit the name.

And I just looked it up, the material editor was changed in 2012. Humm, makes me realize once more that I need to make a new stable release, the version 1.3 is really too antique, I'm surprised so many people still use it .